BAW Chapter 129: The Seed of the Immortal Tree
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The rumbling sound of rushing water echoed through the air.
The further they walked, the heavier the mist became. Ahead was a waterfall of considerable force; though not high, it was very wide. Below it lay a deep, emerald-green pool where the waters of the golden stream gathered. The pool likely had an underground outlet, as the merging of the two water veins did not cause it to overflow.
Rocks were scattered across the open ground in front of the pool, making the valley look as if it had been dusted with gold powder or adorned with gold leaf, shimmering everywhere with a warm, golden light.
On the open land flanking the golden stream, patches of various plants grew. Although they appeared wild, they were planted with surprising regularity—each species in its own cluster, rarely mixing with others. Some were in bloom, while others were still sprouting or in their growth phase.
The pool was vast, and in its center sat a small island occupied by a massive, towering tree. The tree was exceptionally lush, its roots gnarled and its trunk appearing like many thick vines twisted together. Its canopy stretched upward, so high the top was invisible.
In the pool facing the island were a dozen huge, stacked boulders. Whether naturally occurring or deliberately placed, they formed a dotted path of stepping stones leading to the island.
The bass-voiced Treeman carrying Yan Mo stopped at the edge of the pool. Yan Mo looked up; he could now move his neck, and sensation was slowly returning to his body. Watching the magnificent tree in the center of the island, he had the idle thought: Usually, a scene like this leads to finding a beautiful woman or a peerless master. I just don't know if I'm the one getting a lucky break or the unlucky soul about to be eaten by one.
"~Sama...~" the bass voice called out repeatedly in song, drawing out the syllables. The song rose above the roar of the waterfall, echoing through the basin.
Cold sweat broke out on Yan Mo’s forehead as the "fruit" in his belly began to stir even more violently.
The bass-voiced Treeman, Naza, noticed Yan Mo could move his head and seemed extremely shocked. The scent of the Nether Flower was supposed to render any flesh-and-blood body immobile. It wasn't strange to wake up—the Nether Flower kept prey conscious and capable of thought or speech—but they shouldn't be able to move. Naza assumed Yan Mo had only passed out earlier because of the miasma and simply hadn't inhaled enough of it.
"~What is your ability?~" Naza stared at the youth’s face, not understanding the meaning of the exquisite six-pointed star pattern there.
Yan Mo didn't answer him. Before he could, a voice capable of directly luring the soul rang out.
"~Naza, what have you brought? I feel a strange aura...~"
The voice was genderless, sounding like a deep female voice or perhaps a youth before his voice broke. The moment this song began, the movement in Yan Mo’s belly suddenly stopped. Yan Mo pressed his hand against his lower abdomen.
His hands could move too!
"~Sama, we encountered a strange human. He carries the bloodline of our Long-Life Clan within him, but I do not know which Long-Life seed it is,~" Naza explained, lifting Yan Mo and placing him on a flat, giant rock at the edge of the pool.
Yan Mo struggled to sit up.
Naza added, "~Sama, look. Though he is still of flesh and blood, his body has changed. The Nether Flower is useless against him.~"
A long branch extended from the great tree, stretching all the way to Yan Mo. "~Human, do not refuse me.~"
Refuse you what? Yan Mo didn't ask. The branch plunged directly into his abdomen.
Yan Mo: "..."
At that moment, he wished his senses hadn't returned. The branch entering his belly felt like a sharp arrow piercing him, and once inside, it turned into a pointed snake, burrowing and twisting through his gut.
Drenched in cold sweat, Yan Mo grabbed the branch, trying to pull it out. But it was as if it were rooted in his body; it wouldn't budge. Unable to bear the pain, he unsheathed his scalpel and slashed at the branch.
"~What is this?~" Another branch shot out, instantly snatching the scalpel away.
"~Get out!~" Yan Mo growled in agony.
"~Hmm, a human who can talk,~" the voice chuckled. The branch holding the scalpel gave Yan Mo a light flick across the face.
"Sss!" Unable to dodge, a bloody gash appeared on Yan Mo’s cheek. A small amount of blood seeped out. The branch holding the scalpel split, and a thinner twig brushed over the wound. The blood vanished, only to seep out again a moment later.
The branch that wiped away his blood swayed in front of his face, seemingly "tasting" it.
"~Your blood indeed contains the scent of the Long-Life Clan. Mmm, a strange scent... this aura full of vitality, which Long-Life member could it be...~" The voice was initially light and playful, as if enjoying a game. But after about a minute, the cheerful tone abruptly stopped.
Yan Mo’s eyes widened. His body—no, his lower abdomen...
A mass of branches surged toward Yan Mo, instantly wrapping him into a thick cocoon.
"~Naza, leave!~" the voice suddenly rang out like metal striking stone.
"~Sama?~"
"~Leave!~" The voice became incredibly intense and high-pitched.
With a low chant, Naza quickly fled the basin. Before leaving, he glanced back at Yan Mo. He had become uneasy and planned to check the "Child Pits" again. A human carrying a Long-Life bloodline who could break the shackles of the Nether Flower—who knew what his companions might be capable of?
After Naza left, the voice whispered in disbelief: "~Fear... evil... disaster... the Seed of Misfortune.~"
Yan Mo’s expression changed. The Seed of Misfortune? Not the Fruit of Witchcraft’s Luck?
"~Let go of me!~" the voice cried out in pain. "~No, you cannot do this to me!~"
The branches binding Yan Mo suddenly unfurled. A branch returned the stolen scalpel to him. "~Sever it, human! Cut off my arm!~"
Yan Mo took the knife. He had completely recovered from the effects of the Nether Flower. "~Tell me, what is this thing in my belly?~"
"~Cut it!~" the voice screamed, filled with agony and desperation.
"~What is it?~" Yan Mo held the scalpel next to the branch inside him but didn't move.
"~Aaaah!~" The voice could no longer wait for Yan Mo’s help. The immovable, towering tree on the island began to tremble violently. It shook as if caught in an earthquake, causing a massive amount of leaves to fall from its canopy.
Clatter. The branch inside Yan Mo’s belly snapped off from the main tree of its own accord.
Yan Mo’s pupils contracted. In the moment it severed, the long branch seemed to have its entire life force sucked out by something terrifying; it instantly became a shriveled, dead stick. It fell from his abdomen.
"~Ugh, ah...~" Self-severing a limb was clearly agonizing for the voice, which let out a heart-wrenching wail.
Had Yan Mo cut it, it would have been like clipping a nail—no real harm. But by doing it itself, it had to break from the root, causing significant damage. Yet it couldn't wait; any longer, and it might have had to destroy half of itself to escape.
Yan Mo stood on the giant rock, clutching his belly. The "fruit" within had become excited again, thumping against his skin as if urging him to go to the island.
"~Human, leave.~"
Yan Mo didn't want to leave anymore. He intended to have a proper talk with this "Sama."
"~My people are still in your hands. I cannot leave.~"
"~I will have Naza and the others return your people to you... if they are still alive.~"
How honest. But Yan Mo wasn't satisfied. "~Tell me, what is inside me? Will it become a being like you?~"
The voice was silent for a long time. So long that Yan Mo felt thirsty, though he didn't reach for his water.
With a rustling sound, the tree’s branches shook again. This time, it wasn't a break. Branches extended and intertwined, forming a slender Treeman. This slender Treeman had white pom-poms hanging from its crown, swaying in the breeze—it looked quite cute.
The Treeman didn't dare get too close to Yan Mo. It stood on another boulder about a meter away, watching him.
"~I am the Sama of the Maple Clan. Human, what is your name?~" the slender Treeman spoke.
"~Yan Mo, from the Jiuyuan Tribe.~" The fruit in his belly was bulging out, forcing Yan Mo to press down on it for fear his skin might tear.
"~Fortunately...~"
Fortunately what?
"~You can control it. It cannot leave your body.~"
"~What happens if it leaves my body?~"
Sama’s voice was sorrowful. "~The Black Forest will vanish. The Maple Clan will vanish. All plants on this land will disappear. The waters will stop flowing, the soil will lose its power to nurture life. This place will become a land of death.~"
Is it really that terrifying? Yan Mo’s face twitched. "~What the hell is this thing?~"
Sama was surprised. "~You are nurturing it, yet you do not know what it is?~"
To find out the truth, Yan Mo chose to be honest. "~It crawled into my belly on its own. I did not 'combine' with any Long-Life member.~"
"~Strange.~" Sama couldn't understand. "~If you are not the mother who conceived it, why are you not dead? You are only a Level 2 warrior; your body shouldn't be able to sustain its growth. Why does it stay inside you? No—how are you able to trap it?~"
"~Tell me what it is first.~"
This time, Sama was silent even longer.
"~I think I have a right to know. Or would you prefer I stay here and never leave?~"
Sama shook its head, sounding angry. "~Cunning human. You bring the Seed of Misfortune. If not for the fact that killing you is the only way to release it, you would already be dead.~"
"~Dear Sama, if you hadn't captured my people, I wouldn't have entered the Black Forest.~"
"~'Dear'? Oh, I like that sound.~"
"~Great Sama!~" Yan Mo realized these Treemen had rather thick skin (metaphorically).
Sama pointed to a patch of ground further away, telling Yan Mo to move back. Yan Mo retreated to the designated safe distance. Here grew a patch of green plants about half a foot tall. The stems were thin, and the leaves mostly grew in clusters of three or five. The leaves were heart-shaped or oval, while the older leaves were trilobed, resembling flames.
Yan Mo didn't pay them much mind at first, accidentally crushing a few before looking down. What herb is this? It looks familiar... But now wasn't the time for botanical research. He looked back at Sama.
The wind blew, and the white pom-poms on Sama’s head took flight. Something flashed through Yan Mo’s mind.
Sama spoke at that exact moment: "~What your body is nurturing is the Seed of the Immortal Tree.~"
"~The Immortal Tree? The Tree of Life?~" Yan Mo frowned. In the legends of his past life's homeland, there was a divine mountain called Kunlun which held an Immortal Tree; eating from it granted longevity. If it was that Immortal Tree, wasn't that a good thing?
"~The Immortal Tree is born alongside the heavens, earth, stars, and moon. Not even celestial fire can kill it; it only returns it to its seed state. It is the ancestor of all Long-Life Clans, yet we fear it.~"
"~Why?~"
"~The growth of the Immortal Tree requires a massive amount of life force. Soil, water, plants—anything within its range will be drained. Wherever the Immortal Tree stands, it shall be the only thing that stands. Human, leave this place. The Black Forest does not welcome you!~"
Dammit! He knew the thing in his belly wasn't anything good.
"~I can leave, but you must tell me how to remove the seed, how to kill it, and you must agree to three of my demands.~" Before Sama could refuse, Yan Mo added, "~Don't forget, you captured us first. It wasn't our choice to come here.~"
Sama opened its arms and sang: "~The Immortal Tree is immortal; you can never kill it. Human, nurturing the Immortal Tree is your destiny. You can only accept it.~"
Without another word, Yan Mo crouched down and started digging a hole in the ground.
"~What... are you doing?~"
"~I've decided to bury myself here. Since I have to nurture the Immortal Tree, is there any place with more nutrients than the Black Forest? Look, even my 'son' likes it here!~"
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